Filipinos of South Bay Exhibit Hosts FREE Celebration Event This Saturday, October 18th

Susan Heavilin
Oct 17, 2025
1 min read

October is Filipino American History Month!

The month is celebrated in October to mark the date in 1587 when Filipinos first landed in Morro Bay, California.

There is a wonderfully informative exhibit in Chula Visa named Filipinos of the South Bay. It opened back in October of 2022 and is planned to run through December 2024, or possibly longer! You can find it inside the Chula Vista Civic Center Library, located at 365 F Street in Chula Vista, during normal library hours.

If you haven't found this exhibit yet, this Saturday would be the perfect time because you can stop in for the Celebration and stay to check out the exhibit!

The exhibit follows the journey from the Philippines to the South Bay and features stories of Filipinos in the military, education, business and government. It also highlights Philippine organizations, pageants and the building of community through dance and music.

The Celebration is FREE and open to the public and takes place tomorrow—Saturday, October 18th—from 2:30-4:30PM at the Chula Vista Heritage Museum (inside the Library mentioned above.)

Enjoy a dessert merienda and the opportunity to connect with local history. With any luck, you will meet the organizers . . . Chairpersons Ana Cabato (Executive Director of the Philippine Performing Arts Company and Dr. Judy Patacsil (President of the Filipino American National Historical Society, along with being the author of the book Filipinos In San Diego).

Come enjoy the Celebration and the exhibit!